TALLHASSEE—Earlier today a threatening letter claiming to have a biological weapon was intercepted at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in Tallahassee.

Following standard protocol, local, state and federal authorities were notified, and the building was temporarily evacuated until the area was deemed safe to return.

Julie L. Jones, Executive Director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said, “Out of an abundance of caution, staff worked quickly in executing normal protocols of notifying authorities and clearing the building to ensure the safety of our employees. Our employees did a great job in identifying a potential threat – and quickly enacting security measures. The safety of our employees is our top priority, and we will continue to work with state, local and federal partners to investigate the incident, so we can quickly return to normal operations.”

After conducting field tests on the letter and the office in which it was received, members of the task force believe no credible threat was posed. However, exercising an abundance of caution, the letter will undergo confirmatory laboratory testing by the Florida Department of Health.

The letter was intercepted in the records room of the Department, where seven employees were working. Following standard protocol, a hazmat team was deployed to assess and enact measures to ensure the safety of the employees.

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